In grade school I was often reprimanded for my class clown like antics. Oddly, I wasn't overly concerned whether friends and classmates enjoyed my antics. I preferred a livelier environment, rather than one that felt stagnant and lifeless. It is here the roots of my artistic process can be discovered. Painting is the first experience where I feel I can center my restless desire and bring life and beauty to an otherwise banal and pedantic affair.
From birth, I was biologically programmed and gifted with a profound softness of heart; a sensitivity to my surroundings. Though, trying to make others happy, I squandered my gift, letting it turn into a petty support system for anyone I came across; always feeling elated and alive at another's happiness. Over time, with maturity, and years of having my character "strengthened," no longer wanting to be a pushover, I started controlling how I let my softness of heart come out; who I helped, when and where.
Now, discernment regulates my coming and going, my giving and taking. I no longer experience a sense of loss amidst giving or an embittered spirit for lack of gratitude. A discerning freedom now lays the foundation for my work. No longer impetuous, I approach the canvas seemingly with indifference, letting my instincts guide the direction until the "moment" when "discernment" asks off my heart to make very conscientious marks. Simple yet definitive brush strokes and minimal marks bring my paintings to life.
Working light, bringing life out of a canvas' darkness is about nuance; soft light - harsh light. Painting out of the "black" creates a dramatic contrast. Immediately a value is placed on the illumined object or scene. Albeit a harsh reality of light and dark, there is resolution in absolutes. There is a delicacy in this heightened contrast. To a degree, it is the blackness that resolves my characters. My subjects are called to stand on their own; tone, gesture and line are critical in keeping alive the resulting drama. It’s about drama. Nothing else keeps my attention.